Skin Lighteners

Many people choose to use skin lighteners for various reasons. Maybe you have hyper pigmentation. Possibly those cute little freckles you have lived with your whole life recently decided to explode on your face. Or maybe the dreaded age spots that you believed would never grace your face to you have finally caught you. All of these and more are as good a reason as any to look for the best skin lightener for you.

One of the more effective and controversial ingredients used in many skin lightener creams and lotions is hydroquinone. The FDA allows products with 2% hydroquinone concentration but this does not necessarily mean you should use it. If you do choose to use a product with hydroquinone, be sure to read the directions. Most products with hydroquinone are to be used sparingly and not every day for months at a time.

Aside from hydroquinone, there is also mercury and steroids found in some skin lighteners. These ingredients are thought to cause liver damage, leukemia and other health problems. There are many natural skin lightener alternatives to choose from. However, you have to be careful if you go the natural route. Just because it is natural does not mean it is not harmful.

So how should you pick which skin lightener cream or lotion to use?

As always, it is best to check with your doctor first before experimenting with different products. Find a dermatologist who can help you determine you skin type. You may think you know your own skin type but many people think they are something they are not. And just because you have one type now does not mean you always will. Age, hormonal changes and even seasonal changes can affect your type.

Once armed with the information about what type of skin you have, you can then make an educated decision on which skin lightener will work for you. What's next? Research, research, research. Be sure to check all the ingredients. There may be some little something you are allergic to lurking in that bottle or jar.

Also, there are numerous blogs, forums and review sites online where you can find personal accounts about every kind of beauty product you can think of that's on the market.

There are also several natural skin lighteners you can make at home. Many of these are made with things you have in your kitchen. Lemons, honey, cucumbers, orange peels, yogurt are just some of the ingredients you might already have to make your own skin lighteners in your own home. Whatever your reason for wanting to lighten your skin, there is a solution.